The run of Sundays with fresh nor’easters continued into 2024 for the start of the Port Macquarie Sailing Club’s Summer Season. With the wind at 15-16 knots and gusts adding a few more to the mix, members were pleased to have a little extra ballast after a few weeks of festive indulgence.

Starting into the run-in tide, Jack Corthals on Crackerjack and Dave Winter on Spica were the only two entrants in the catamaran division with several members on holidays or away competing. Congratulations to PMSC Commodore, Frank O’Rourke, who placed second in the 57th Arrow Nationals last week at a soggy Lake Cootharaba, Queensland.

In the monohull division, Steve and Lucy Bohlsen in Interceptor enjoyed a commanding lead until things got complicated when dropping the spinnaker towards the end of the first lap. By the time the mast was pointy-side-up and crew back onboard, most of the fleet was past with Warren Sykes in Runamuck well ahead.

Terry Howard in Flying Dragon and Steve Couch in Lazybuoy enjoyed a competitive afternoon. In the second work, Lazybuoy found some extra wind in the middle of the river and snuck past briefly until Flying Dragon’s downwind performance reversed the positions.

Martina Holt in Spellbound also used the downwind legs to catch up to Flying Dragon and Lazybuoy, but was not able to close the distance. Simon Gandy reminisced in the newly re-Christened Popcorn, now in the ownership of Lucy Bohlsen who we look forward to skippering in future races.

Final yardstick result for Race 1 of the Summer Series was: Catamarans: Crackerjack and Spica. Monohulls: Runamuck, Flying Dragon, Lazybuoy, Spellbound, Popcorn and Interceptor.

Next Sunday will be Handicap Start Race 3, starting at 2pm. Warren Sykes is rostered on duty.